WASHINGTON | The Latest: Jury selected in Manafort trial

A jury has been seated in the trial of President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, on tax evasion and bank fraud charges.

Six men and six women, along with four alternate jurors, were chosen on Tuesday. Opening statements were expected later in the afternoon.

Manafort, who is already in custody and could spend the rest of his life in jail, appeared in the federal courtroom in Alexandria, Virginia, in a dark suit with his wife, Kathleen.

It’s the first trial to result from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into potential ties between the Trump presidential campaign and Russia. Prosecutors are not expected to address the question of collusion, but Manafort’s case is widely viewed as a test to the legitimacy of Mueller’s probe, which Trump has called a “witch hunt.” ____ 11:40 a.m.

Jury selection is underway in the trial of Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman.

Dozens of jurors packed a federal courtroom Tuesday in Alexandria, Virginia, to face questions from a judge and lawyers about whether they can be fair and impartial.

The trial is the first arising from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into potential ties between the Trump presidential campaign and Russia. But that isn’t a focus of this trial.

Manafort is accused of failing to report tens of millions of dollars in Ukrainian political consulting fees and using that money to fund a lavish lifestyle.

Manafort, who is in custody, sat quietly with his defense lawyers. He was dressed in a suit, not jail attire. __ 12:38 a.m.

Jury selection is set to begin in the trial of President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman.

Paul Manafort will appear Tuesday in federal court in Virginia for the first trial arising from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. Manafort is accused of concealing tens of millions of dollars in income from the IRS and fraudulently obtaining millions more in bank loans.

The trial will give the public the most detailed glimpse yet into a part of the Mueller investigation. It also comes as Trump and his lawyers have dialed up the intensity in their attacks on Mueller.

This is the first of two trials for Manafort. The second trial, scheduled for September in the District of Columbia, involves allegations that he acted as an unregistered foreign agent for Ukrainian interests.